Ah, the bright darkness, by J.C. Kavanagh

 

To purchase the award-winning Twisted Climb series, click here 

https://www.bookswelove.net/kavanagh-j-c/

The concept of The Twisted Climb series began with a kick. Multiple kicks, in fact. And sometimes these kicks landed on my partner, Ian. Accidentally, of course. You see, I have a medical condition known as Restless Leg syndrome. For some unknown medical reason, the legs grow a brain (my non-medical explanation) and develop a mind of their own, at night, in bed, and without my permission. What's the night-time purpose of these "brainy" legs?  It's to twitch, kick, jiggle and turn all attempts of sleeping into a completely uncomfortable and totally annoying ritual.

So after many a restless night where I felt like I was climbing a never-ending mountain, I did what any crazy creative person would do. I made-up a few characters to join me in the playground that is my mind. And for these night-time adventures, I created a new world - a dream world - where climbing would ultimately help me 'fall' to sleep. Each night, the final destination would be the Town of Sleepmore. Get it? Sleep more. To make it really interesting and because I couldn't control the leg jerks, I generated a character who was a jerk - Dick Hatemore. 

This dream world is a spooky, peculiar place. It's always night time in my dream world. No daylight and no sun. However, there is always a full moon, every night, night after night. Puffy clouds slide in and out and over the full moon. The clouds move, but the moon remains stationary. Because of this, the dream world is as bright as you'd find it on a sunny day. In the very first paragraph of The Twisted Climb (book 1), Jayden holds up her hand in the moonlight. This is actually something I did when the restless legs forced me to get out of bed and pace. I would stand in wonder at the brightness of the full moon and check out my hand, front and back. The moonlight became my soothing friend.

For anyone who might think that a full moon would not and could not shine like the sun... I give you evidence from my own back yard. 

Pictures taken December 12 and 13 between 8 and 10 p.m.
in Central Ontario (between snow squalls). It's dark here at 5 p.m.
Beautiful blue sky and great big puffy clouds,
just like "the lumpy potatoes Jayden's mother served when she felt like making dinner."

As bright as daytime, right?

The planet Jupiter is below the moon, to the left.

The Twisted Climb dream world was my personal dream world for a number of years. I still 'travel' there now and then, depending on the legs. So, if you're up for an exciting read in an exciting world, you need to check out this award-winning series. But only if you like adventure, action, suspense, drama, stellar characters and of course, the paranormal activity found in the dream world. And the un-World. Because where else will you find a place where you have to 'fall' in order to sleep?

Lighting of our Christmas tree. Ian joked that the "17,000" lights
could be used as an airport runway. He's a cheeky one, so he is :)

It's the Christmas season and I wish goodness, light and love to friends, family and you, the reader. Don't forget to tell the ones you love that you love them!

J.C. Kavanagh, author of
The Twisted Climb - A Bright Darkness (Book 3) Best YA Book FINALIST at Critters Readers Poll 2022
AND
The Twisted Climb - Darkness Descends (Book 2) voted BEST Young Adult Book 2018, Critters Readers Poll and Best YA Book FINALIST at The Word Guild, Canada
AND
The Twisted Climb,
voted BEST Young Adult Book 2016, P&E Readers Poll
Voted Best Local Author, Simcoe County, Ontario, 2021
Novels for teens, young adults and adults young-at-heart
Email: author.j.c.kavanagh@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/J.C.Kavanagh
www.amazon.com/author/jckavanagh
Instagram @authorjckavanagh

Remnants of Pryr Infographic by Tobias Robbins

I wanted to create a resource that would not only help keep all the characters sorted but also give a bit of an unofficial preview of the world they live in. I felt like doing just a character list would be boring. And besides, it's not as if they exist within a vacuum. They all interact or overlap so I needed it to be more visual. The nature of the storytelling device I use for the book has each chapter written by a different person, in a different setting. Since the whole plot takes place over a few thousand years, some of them even write about each other. This resource, Genially, I use in my 7th grade Social Studies class to help visualize concepts in history. It's fun because it is interactive and by clicking on the elements on the image you can get more info. 

  

Bookstores at Christmas

 

                                            Find my BWL books here!

     Is there any place more magical than a bookstore at Christmas? I am so lucky to live in Vermont, where independent bookstores abound. I can walk to a wonderful one in my town -- Village Square Booksellers. Yes, it's straight out of a Hallmark movie, as you can see!  It's presided over by the wonderful Myles, a local young man who recently purchased the store after working there with the previous owners, Alan and Pat, who are heading into a busy, community-serving retirement.

A bounty of holiday gift ideas

A great place to shop for children and grandchildren

Our bookstore supports local authors!

On a recent visit I found a perfect book of poetry and illustrations, and a short story collection of New England ghost tales for my sons, some travel-ready easy reading chapter books for my grandchild to read to me on our upcoming car ride to Lego Land, and some delicious Christmas Tea for our visiting guests as we gather around the fireplace.

What books will you be gifting to loved ones?

Blessings of the Season of Light, dear readers, and a joyous year ahead for you and yours. 

Christmas Celebrations - Mexico-style!

 

                                          Please click this link for book and author information

My husband Will and I have developed the habit of spending part of November and/or December in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. During our visits these past four years, we've noticed that as soon as the Day of Dead (Nov 1-2) celebrations are over Christmas decorations appear on buildings and streets. We northerners find it a bit jarring to see Santa Clauses in snowsuits and boots, reindeer, and our traditional Christmas trees juxtaposed with palm trees and swimsuits.  

A lucky girl rides the burro pictured below

Real burro stands beside restaurant Santa Claus and burro

No doubt Mexicans dress up their streets, restaurants, and hotels partly for snowbird tourists, but the locals seem to enjoy the festivity. Our hotel desk clerk was pleased when I admired the suggestion box she'd creatively decorated. 

Perhaps part of the appeal is that the traditional red, green, and white Christmas colours happen to be the colours of the Mexican flag. 

The Mexican flag flies above a beachfront cafe

Most Christmas decorations sold in stores are similar to ones available at Canada Walmart, although occasional stores displayed Mexican piñatas. Unfortunately, they were too bulky and fragile for us to bring home in our suitcases to add a Mexican flair to our own Christmas decor.  

 

Mexico is a predominately Roman Catholic country and Christmas is ultimately a religious celebration. From December 1-12 about 400 processions wind through the streets of Puerto Vallarta and culminate at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. These parades commemorate the appearance of

the Virgin Mary to the peasant Juan Diego on December 12, 1531. Our Hotel Los Arcos organized a procession for staff members and invited hotel guests to attend. They asked us to wear white although the procession's dancers appeared in colourful costumes. 

Waiting for the procession to start

            

According to Google translate, this sign at the start of the procession says: Virgin of Guadalupe here are your children of Corporative Los Arcos thanking you for all the favors received and asking you to preserve our work and Directives.

The candlelight processions include both Aztec and Christian costumes and motifs, mariachi bands, and singing by all participants (the organizers gave us song sheets). Food stalls filled the park in front of the destination, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church.     

We found it a beautiful way to welcome the Christmas season. With luck we'll continue our Mexico habit next year. 

Happy Holidays to you!

When Land Lines Were King, by Karla Stover

 

https://bookswelove.net/stover-karla/

By the same author BWL Publishing:  A Line to Murder (a Tacoma, WA. book.)

                                                              Murder: When One Isn't Enough (murder on Hood Canal.)

                                                              Wynter's Way (gothic at its best.)  

                                                              Parlor Girls (the life and times of the famed Everleigh sisters.) 

                                          When Land Lines Were King,  by Karla Stover

    "What language was that?" Asked a puzzled senior citizen.

    "High school Spanish and proud of it," said a telephone volunteer, hanging up the phone and laughing.

    "My brother hasn't talked to me in 15 years, and he still won't," muttered a man punching the elevator button.

    "I talked to four families in Germany," said an excited elderly woman. "They all went to one one house and hooked upon a speaker phone.

    And so it went on Merrill Lynch's annual Holiday Senior Call Day.

    In 1980 Merrill Lynch came up with the idea of making its phone lines available, at the company's expense, so less-affluent senior citizens could call family and friends for the holidays anywhere in the world. This was not as easy as it sounds. To get the word out, Merrill coordinated with the City's Human Resources Department where people there worked with the individuals, giving them a scheduled time to make their calls based on the time zone of where they were calling. Local ROTC members provided transportation if necessary, arrangements were made with local bakeries to donate cookies, and MCI representatives were invaluable in getting calls through to former east-bloc countries. And, of course, company employees were there all day long. When Call Day first began, one employee's eight-year old son manned the elevator. He couldn't help when he started college but his mother did. She closed herself in a room of phones and spent the day patching calls through for the homebound. In 1992, one of the shut-ins had died and she worked to connect the Tacoma family's with their relatives in Viet Nam so hey could convey the news.

    "Dial tones are different overseas," explained one volunteer. "People often don't know what they're hearing when you hand them the phone. Their faces really light up when someone at the other end picks up their phone and says, 'Hello.' That makes your day."

    "My husband died last year and my finances changed," one lady said. "If it hadn't been for this, I wouldn't have been able to talk to my family,"

     "This is the first time I've talked to my sister in Ireland in 40 years," one said a nun in a local cloistered community.

    The day was as varied as 250 people hoping to connect with family could make it. People got confused on Tacoma's one-way streets. Skateboarders  invaded the parking garage and played dodge-'em with the elderly. Purses and earrings were lost, and one person brought in a bag of garbage and left it under a chair for the janitors to take away later. The Pierce County Executive was a regular volunteer and sometimes a local news station came to film and interview people. In 1997, the program was honored with a Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives, the nation's highest honor recognizing volunteer service and community outreach programs.

    At the end of the day, the cookies that hadn't been eaten, or tucked away in pockets, were taken to the Rescue Mission. And one grateful senior summed it up saying, "I don't know who this Marilyn Lynch person is, but she's one heck of a gal."